Can You Remove a Google Review That Advertises Another Business?
A review is supposed to describe an experience, not rent your Business Profile as a tiny billboard. Google prohibits promotional or commercial content and solicitation in reviews.
Policy-based guidance, reviewed September 2026.
Quick answer
A review may qualify for removal when its purpose is to advertise another company, promote a commercial offer, solicit customers, or post phone numbers, emails, social links, or website links. Preserve the complete post and linked destination, then report the promotional content. A reviewer merely mentioning an alternative business is not always advertising.
What Google prohibits as advertising or solicitation
Google’s policy lists promotional or commercial content and review text containing email addresses, phone numbers, social media links, or links to other websites. The rule protects Maps from becoming an ad channel.
Look at the purpose of the content. Is it sharing an experience, or trying to redirect readers and generate business?
Competitor promotion versus a comparison
“I used Company B instead and preferred it” may be a relevant consumer comparison. “Call Company B at this number for a discount” is much more clearly promotional. A competitor connection can also create a separate conflict-of-interest issue.
Do not claim a competitor relationship without evidence. Save public ownership, employment, or promotional connections when they are reliable.
Evidence checklist
- Full screenshot and direct review URL
- Phone number, email, handle, or website shown
- Screenshot of the promotional destination
- Commercial offer or call to action
- Public competitor or affiliate connection
- Duplicate wording on other profiles
- Report and appeal status
Capture links and offers safely
Screenshot the full review and the visible URL, phone number, handle, coupon, or call to action. Record the destination without downloading unknown files or entering information into suspicious pages.
If the link appears malicious or requests confidential information, the social-engineering or misrepresentation rules may also apply.
Choose the narrowest report reason
Report the review as advertising, solicitation, or spam using the closest option available. Explain the commercial call to action, not the damage to your rating.
If the same promotional text appears across multiple profiles, preserve those examples for a repetitive-content or coordinated-pattern case.
When a phone number may be allowed
Context matters. Google allows merchants to publish their own business contact information in appropriate business contexts. A reviewer posting contact details to sell or solicit is the clearer violation.
A number included as part of a factual service story may receive different treatment. Focus on the commercial intent visible in the post.
How to respond without amplifying the ad
Do not repeat the competing company name, link, or offer in your reply. A concise response can say that the post appears to promote an unrelated service and has been reported.
Every repetition is free distribution for the promotion, which is an unusually generous gift to give a spammer.
If Google leaves the review live
Use an appeal only when the promotional purpose can be shown more clearly. Add duplicate examples, linked ownership, or the direct solicitation language if available.
If the mention is only a comparison within a real experience, it may remain. Address the service issue rather than stretching the advertising rule.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, a genuine comparison may be relevant. The stronger violation is a promotional call to action or a biased competitor post.
Google’s advertising policy lists links to other websites, social links, phone numbers, and emails in reviews as prohibited solicitation content.
No. Preserve what is visible and avoid exposing devices or confidential information to a potentially malicious destination.
Repeated promotional text can support both advertising and repetitive-content concerns.
Google evaluates policy compliance. No report count guarantees removal.
Need a policy-based second look?
Send the review link and the evidence you already have. We will screen the case against Google policy and tell you whether it appears worth pursuing.
Related Google review guides
Sources
Primary sources: Google Maps prohibited and restricted content policy and Google review reporting and appeal instructions. Policy wording and workflows were reviewed September 2026.